CSi:Miami Beware A Silent Dog
by A Rhea King
Summary: Calleigh and Eric's missing child case is linked to the child Ryan finds hiding in his closet. Both teams are determined to protect the child, but a greedy officer will cost someone their life to do that.
1. Chapter 1

Beware A Silent Dog

By A. Rhea King

**Chapter 1**

He focused on the rhythm of his jog, on his feet pounding on the sidewalk, and each breath that moved in and out of his chest. He glanced at things as he jogged past them – mostly the beautiful women that would stop what they were doing to watch him pass with a smile. He liked to think they were smiling at him, perhaps offering an unspoken invitation to flirt. But time had taught Ryan Wolfe he was not the object of those affectionate smiles.

Jake was.

Jake loped along at the end of his leash next to him, easily keeping up with his master. It had been a hot day and Ryan had considered leaving him when he got home from work, but Jake challenged that decision by barking and howling as soon as Ryan closed the door behind him. He was not about to be separated from his beloved pack leader for another minute.

Ryan glanced down at the German Sheppard and smiled. He had never considered becoming a dog owner before Jake, and now he wouldn't trade it for anything.

He had found Jake when he was a patrolman. The dog had either been dumped or wandered away from his home and had fallen into a drain. Back then he was just a ball of fur, just beginning to eat solid food. When Ryan took him from the fireman that had pulled him out, Jake lay in his arms, shaking from fear and cold. Those rough few months of learning to tell Ryan he needed out, not to chew everything in sight, and not to howl all day while Ryan was at work were ancient history between the two. Of course, back then Ryan had decided he would train Jake to be a K-9, but then the opening in the CSI came up and the dog's fate changed to a bed-hogging, pizza loving, oversized puppy. Ryan did finish his training, but left out all the aggressive commands of a K-9. Or so he thought. There had been a few occasions during their jogs that people had tried to approach Ryan and Jake made it very clear they were not to be trusted. Ryan trusted the dog's judgment over his own in that area because Jake had never been wrong – he'd discovered that every time he did a search for the person at work the next morning, which usually ended up in an arrest for something they'd done by noon.

The two rounded the corner. Ahead Ryan saw a police car parked in front of his apartment complex. The apartment owner, Derek, was standing outside talking to the officer. Ryan smiled when he saw Officer Anthony Guerro. He and Ryan had graduated from the academy together and Ryan hadn't seen him since he'd stopped gambling. Ryan slowed to a walk, approaching the two men.

"Evening," Ryan panted, putting his hands on his hips.

"Hey, Ryan," the two said at the same time. Derek broke off. "Someone broke your bedroom window."

"Huh?" Ryan asked. He'd only been gone for two hours and it hadn't been broken when he left.

"Yeah. Mrs. Carpeli said she'd heard something." Derek glanced into the apartment courtyard behind him.

Mrs. Carpeli was standing outside her apartment, leaning on her walker, staring at them as if they were suddenly going to run at her with knives and guns blazing. She was the oldest resident, had seen it change hands five times, and complained about every little thing.

"Didn't believe her at first, but then Gracie came up and said she thought she heard a window break out back. I checked it out and your bedroom window was broken. Doesn't look like anything is missing, but I don't really know what you have. There is a lot of blood on the window, in your bathroom and on the floor."

"You want to go check it out?" Anthony asked.

Ryan nodded. The three started toward his apartment.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Carpeli asked.

"Nothing, Mrs. Carpeli. Someone broke a window is all," Derek told her.

"I told you having a cop here was bad. They're a magnet for all those gangs and drug people!"

Mrs. Carpeli was always saying that about Ryan, but he still exchanged a look with Anthony. While Ryan resisted smiling at the comment, Anthony didn't.

"I'll make note of that, Mrs. Carpeli," Derek told her.

"When are you going to come play poker with us again?" Anthony asked Ryan.

Ryan smiled, hiding how much he dreaded that question. He had promised Horatio never to gamble again.

"I gave up gambling. Too hard on the wallet."

Anthony nodded. "Yeah. I'm getting a lot of grief at home about it. Kendra says I spend too much." Anthony paused. When neither Derek nor Ryan sympathized with his misery, Anthony added with a chuckle, "If she'd quit nagging me so much, I'd be happy to spend more time at home!"

Ryan didn't voice his thought of, '_Maybe you should stop gambling away your paycheck and she'd quit nagging you._'

The three entered Ryan's apartment.

Ryan took Jake into the kitchen, pointing to a spot. "Place."

Jake obediently sat down on the spot, letting Ryan take off his leash.

"Stay," Ryan ordered, and then headed to the bedroom where everyone else was.

He took note of his possessions as he walked through the apartment – he didn't notice anything out of place or missing. The apartment was as neat and orderly as he'd left it. The last thing he needed tonight was an OCD anxiety attack in front of people who didn't know he had the disorder.

Cynthia, Derek's wife, was standing by his dresser with a cell phone pressed to her ear. "Still on hold with the insurance company," she told Derek, and then smiled at Ryan. "Guess Miami decided you should work at home too, huh, Ryan?"

Ryan smiled. He looked around his bedroom, treating it more like a crime scene – which it was at the moment.

"The glass was broken from the outside. Did you find what was used to break it?" Ryan asked.

Cynthia piped up. "Yeah. This."

Ryan turned. She was holding up a small hammer. He had to swallow hard to hold back his urge for berating her handling evidence. Ryan grabbed a tissue from his nightstand and took it from her.

"Thanks."

"It was over there," she said, pointing at the bathroom door.

"Should we call CSI?" Anthony said.

Ryan heard the subtle mocking tone and turned to him, smiling as he handed over the small hammer.

"Nothing's missing. No one's dead. We're good."

Anthony chuckled. Despite the jest, he carefully wrapped the tissue around the hammer. "Might still get some prints off this. There's one here on the closet handle."

Ryan had noticed it, but he wouldn't have wasted time printing it at a crime scene. It was smeared and so small he wouldn't have been able to get enough points to run it.

"Do you have everything you need, Anthony?"

"Yep. See you later, Ryan."

As a group they headed back to the front door.

"I'll run to the hardware store and get a board for the window," Derek told him. "I'll be back in a little bit and we can get that up."

Ryan nodded. "Thanks."

He waited until he was sure they had left before he closed the door. He turned and smiled. Jake was still sitting in the kitchen where Ryan had placed him, but the half wall that separated the kitchen from the living room blocked his view. So he was leaning as far to the side as he could to see Ryan. His tail beat the floor a few times.

"Release," Ryan told him.

Jake bound toward him and sat right on Ryan's feet, staring up at him. He brushed the carpet with his tail and would have been smiling if he could have.

Ryan leaned over, petting the dog's head with both hands. "Good boy. Good Jake-o. I have to go clean up the bedroom and then we'll eat. I'll order Chinese and get you some of that pork fried rice you love. And if you talk real nice to me, I'll get you an egg roll. Can you talk real nice to me?"

Jake whimpered and let out a soft yip.

"You do want an egg roll or not?"

Jake yelped, standing up. Ryan laughed, kissing the top of his head. "Okay. One pork egg roll too. Okay. You stay in here so you don't get cut. Here…" Ryan reached over him and grabbed the remote for the TV from the coffee table. He turned it on and switched to the Animal Channel. "You watch TV for now, okay? Watch TV, Jake."

Jake turned and leapt onto the couch. He moved to the end covered with a blanket, turned a couple times and flopped down. Ryan dropped the remote on the couch as he walked past, allowing him to pat Jake's head before he was past. Jake lifted his head, gently nipping Ryan's fingers as they passed his mouth. Ryan laughed.

#

Ryan's mind had wandered off as the hot water flowed over his body. Only half willingly he reached out and turned off the water. He stepped out of the shower and started drying off as he walked back into the bedroom. He glanced down as he passed Jake. He was sitting in front of the closet, staring intensely at it. Ryan rolled his towel and snapped the dog in the haunches, encouraging a short lived game of tug-of-war. Jake lost when he let go to bark at Ryan.

"See? What I tell you about that focus? You'll lose every time if you stop to gloat at me like that."

Jake pranced around Ryan, yipping and nipping at his fingers. Ryan dug out a clean pair of underwear and pulled them on.

"Yeah. I know. I shouldn't have gotten you all riled up before bed. Couldn't help myself. Now settle down. I'm bushed and we're going to sleep."

Ryan left the bedroom to shut off the rest of the lights in the apartment. When he returned, he found Jake sitting in front of the closet again.

"I'm beginning to think you have an imaginary friend living in there, Jake-o." Ryan climbed into bed.

After making sure his alarm was turned on he switched off the light and moved around in bed to find the comfort spot. The thought crossed his mind that one day he'd sure like to have a woman to find a comfort spot at night with, but tonight he'd have to settle for a dog. Ryan found his spot and let out a long sigh.

"Okay, Jake. Come on."

Jake didn't jump up on the bed.

"Sleeping on the floor tonight?" Ryan asked.

Jake pawed at the closet door.

"No."

Silence followed.

Ryan was just on the brink of slipping into slumber when someone sniffled. He opened his eyes and listened for a few minutes. When it didn't happen again, he closed his eyes. Leather softly creaked. Ryan sat up in bed, listening.

Without the bedroom window, his room was darker than normal. He could just barely make out the shape of Jake from the dim light coming in from the living room, and judging from the form, he was sitting at the closet door again. All night he had kept running back to the bedroom to sit and stare at the door. It was as if he knew the closet hid some secret. Ryan's heart skipped a couple beats. Maybe he _was_ listening to something or someone. Ryan sat perfectly still and waited. After several agonizing minutes, he heard a soft sniffle come from the closet.

Ryan switched on the light. Jake didn't take his attention off the door. Ryan slowly climbed out of bed and without looking, reached for his backup pistol sitting on top of his dresser. He pulled it out of the holster and flicked off the safety.

"Is there someone in my closet?" Ryan asked.

No one answered. Jake glanced at him when he took a step toward the closet. The dog dropped to his belly, sniffing at the bottom of the door. Ryan moved slowly toward the door. There were slats in it. Whoever was in there could see him, but he couldn't see them.

Ryan reached out and wrapped his fingers around the handle. He threw open the door, aiming at the person he was expecting to be eye-to-eye with. His aim was five feet too high. The person was pressed into the back of the closet, in a little nook where the closet met the wall. Ryan could tell right away that the person was small and thin – a child, he guessed. He backed up and flicked the overhead light switch. That didn't really help. The child had pushed herself as far as she could against into the back, and probably would have climbed under the shelves if she had been small enough.

Ryan knelt on one knee, holding his gun behind his leg. "Hi there. Why don't you come out and tell me what you're doing in my apartment?"

The child didn't answer. He heard the youngster sniffle.

"I need you to come out. Come on." Ryan waved toward himself, but the child didn't move.

Ryan got up and walked over to his dresser. He dug out a Maglite out of a top drawer and walked back to the closet. He clicked it on, shining it into the darkness. What the bright light revealed stunned Ryan. It was a brunette girl around ten or eleven. She had on denim shorts and a white shirt stained with dried blood. Blood had dried on her thin legs and arms, and streaked her face and hair. She turned her head away enough to keep her eyes out of the light, but so she could still watch him.

"Did you break my window?"

She didn't answer.

"Was that your blood on the window and in the bathroom?"

She remained mute.

"Can you speak?"

She didn't respond.

Ryan sighed, standing up. "I'm going to call the police." He turned, walking toward his cell phone.

Softly, almost too softly for him to hear, she told him, "You _are_ the police."

Ryan stopped and turned. He hurried back, shining his flashlight on her. She was staring at the wall in front of her.

"What did you say?"

She didn't speak again.

"How do you know I work for the police?"

She didn't say.

"Answer me!"

But she didn't. Ryan stood and stormed over to the bedside table. He grabbed his cell phone and returned to keep an eye on her. Jake started toward her but Ryan pulled him back while he made a call.

"Mister Wolfe," was the first words out of Horatio's mouth when he answered. "You're calling awfully late. Is everything alright?"

"I have a situation at my place. Can you come and help me?"

After a few seconds pause Horatio told him, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Ryan was standing in the door when Horatio parked on the street and came into the courtyard. His appearance surprised Ryan a little. He wasn't used to seeing Horatio in jeans, Polo shirt and sneakers. Course, he guessed Horatio probably thought the same thing about him. When he realized he was still in just underwear, he pulled on a pair of worn cut-off jean shorts.

"What's going on, Ryan?" Horatio asked.

Ryan turned, leading him inside. Jake was waiting in the living room and greeted Horatio with the exuberance of a long lost friend – even though he'd only met Horatio a dozen times or so. Horatio smiled a little, calming him with a gentle hand on his head, and followed Ryan back to the bedroom.

Ryan handed over the flashlight and pointed into his closet. "She's in there. She won't talk to me and I don't know what she's doing here."

Horatio knelt on one knee. Jake darted forward to lick him, but Ryan caught him mid lunge and pulled him back.

"Hello there," Horatio said with a smile.

The child didn't respond.

Horatio inched a little closer.

"What's your name, honey?"

She didn't tell him her name.

Horatio inched forward as he spoke. "My name is Horatio. I'm a policeman and I'd like to help you. Can you tell me your name is and why you're covered with blood?"

She looked down at her arms and hands.

Horatio reached out to her and she shrank back, pushing against the wall. He moved his hand to her forearm and laid his hand on it. He felt her tense under his fingers. Horatio hesitated. He didn't know where the blood came from, or if she was armed. With a slow breath he took a risk and slid his fingers around her arm.

The second his fingers wrapped around her slender arm she went from a docile, frightened child to an enraged, terrified child. She kicked, bit, clawed and hit at him, and got in a few good hits. Horatio quickly pulled back with a split lip and several scratches on his face and arms. As soon as he was out of the closet she returned to her semi-catatonic state, staring at the wall again.

"I, uhm…" Ryan wasn't even sure what to say.

Horatio pulled his cell phone from a pocket and dialed a number. "Stay with her Ryan." He headed out to the living room, starting to talk to whoever he called.

Ryan watched him through the door, letting Jake's collar go. He looked down when he heard the girl whisper, "Good boy. Good boy."

Jake was standing in the closet with the child. Ryan crouched down and watched her. She petted Jake, whispering to him. Too bad Jake couldn't tell them what she was saying.

Ryan stood and went into the kitchen. Horatio watched him pass, but his attention remained with whoever was on the other end of his cell phone. Ryan took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and went back to the bedroom. He crouched down near the door and sat the bottle halfway between him and the girl, then sat on the end of the bed. The girl slowly looked up at him, then the water. In achingly slow motion she reached out and took the bottle. She uncapped it and drank the entire bottle in seconds. The girl screwed on the lid and sat it beside her.

"If you put it back there, I'll fill it up for you," Ryan told her.

She glanced at him.

"I promise, I won't move from here until you've sat the bottle down."

She looked at the bottle, then up at Jake. She held it up to him, whispering something. Jake took it and she pointed out of the closet. Jake turned and trotted over to Ryan, making him smile.

"You've been watching us, haven't you? I just taught him fetch."

She didn't answer.

Ryan filled the bottle from the bathroom sink and went back to Jake.

"Take it. Take it, Jake-o."

Jake took it.

"Go. Go, boy," Ryan said, pointing at the girl.

Jake took the bottle to the girl and dropped it in her waiting hands. With a grunt he laid down next to her. She didn't open the bottle this time, just held it. Ryan leaned back on his bed, waiting for someone to tell him what to do.

#

Calleigh and Eric pulled up behind the police car in the driveway of a single story mansion. Every detail of the structure was lavish and most likely cost more than their combined annual salaries. The officer at the door nodded as they walked inside. They could hear a woman inside verbally accosting an officer who was trying very hard to calm her. They came around a wall and found the woman with a man in the den. Tripp and an officer stood with them.

"Ma'am, if you don't calm down, we aren't going to get far here. I need you to calm down," Tripp said.

The two CSI stopped beside him, watching the two.

"She was in her room last night! Don't you get it! The window was broken so the alarm wouldn't go off. Someone knew how to do that! Someone snuck in here and stole our baby!"

"Ma'am," Calleigh said, hoping a woman might help this woman calm down. "The officers need statements so we can help find your child, but you have to calm down. Can you do that? Can we work together to find your child?"

The woman sniffed, looking down. She nodded.

"Okay…" Tripp said with a long breath. "Betty and Samuel Yates, this is CSI Duquesne and CSI Delko. They're going to help us find your daughter. You told the first responding officer that that Alicia was here when you put her to bed last night, but this morning you went to wake her she was missing and the window was broken out?"

"Yes. And whoever did it, didn't set off the alarm."

"Do all the bedroom had bars on the window?"

"Yes," Samuel answered.

"I'll start with the perimeter," Eric said. "Where does the bedroom window face?"

"The pool. She likes looking at the ocean,"

"Betty, can you show me Alicia's bedroom?" Calleigh asked.

The woman nodded and the two headed down a hall. Calleigh noticed that there were several pictures of the child around the house. She had the bright blue eyes and rich brown hair, and was all smiles.

"Alicia is her name?" Calleigh asked.

"Yes. This is her room."

Calleigh looked into the room Betty had stopped at. Calleigh entered and right away she sensed there was something very wrong about the scene. Starting with the deadbolt on the door.

"Can you tell me why there's a deadbolt on this door?" Calleigh pointed at it.

"It was on the door when we bought the place last year. We just never got around to removing it."

Calleigh forced a smile, even though her gut told her the statement was a lie. A house this expensive and they didn't remove a lock on their child's bedroom door? How did that work? Calleigh sat her kit down near the door and opened it, pulling out gloves.

"Do you think they'll call with a ransom soon?" Betty asked.

"Do you think that's why someone took her?"

"I don't know. When we were in Fort Lauderdale, a couple tried to kidnap her. Said they were her parents."

Calleigh turned to face Betty. The woman didn't notice. She was straightening a dress hanging on the door.

"There's been a kidnap attempt before?"

Betty nodded.

"Were the people caught?"

"Oh yes. Well, one, anyway. Samuel shot the woman."

"Why would they say they were her parents?"

"I don't know. We adopted Alicia when we lived in Canada seven years ago. We were told it would take a court order for her biological parents to find Alicia, so I don't know what they were talking about."

Calleigh considered the information. Perhaps the man they thought was in jail wasn't. She would have to investigate that lead when she got back.

Calleigh picked up her camera and started photographing, being sure to get a picture of the lock. Outside she heard Eric snapping off photographs of his own. She was starting to see something that was disturbing her. Calleigh paused for a second to send a text message.

From down the hall an officer called out, "Mrs. Yates, can you come back in the living room? The detective would like to ask you a few more questions."

Calleigh waited until Betty left to go back to the door. She swung it closed and crouched down, photographing the inside.

"Calleigh," Eric called from outside.

"Yes?"

"These bars are bolted from the inside and there's blood on them from the inside."

Calleigh stood, turning. Eric was standing at the window. She walked over to it, looking the window over. Heavy duct tape covered the inside edges of the window, over the metal strip that would have set off the alarm. Doing that had prevented the glass from cracking and breaking the electrical current that would have set off the alarm."

"And the tape is on the inside. There's not much glass in here. What about out there?"

Eric nodded. "It's all over the ground. Calleigh, no one broke into this room. Someone was breaking out of it."

"There's tool marks on the inside of the door across the lock, but it's pristine outside."

Eric shook his head. "For a little girl to go to all this to get away… These people aren't telling us something. They've done something to that poor kid."

"I know… But we can't help her until we can find her."

Eric nodded. The two went back to work, hoping their evidence would lead them to where Alicia Yates was hiding.

#

Ryan watched the girl pick at something in her hand. It had been a long night. Two female, one male policeman, Horatio, and a paramedic had tried to coax the girl out. The paramedic had even tried to force her out and came back with bleeding cuts, a few of which had glass fragments stuck in them. The event had set Jake off, surprising Ryan. He didn't calm down until the medic left the room and returned to his spot beside the child.

Ryan looked up when Horatio came in with the woman.

"This is April, she's from child services," Horatio told him.

Ryan greeted her with a smile.

"Can you call your dog out?" April asked.

Ryan called Jake. April crouched down, smiling at the child.

"Hi there. My name is April. Can you tell me your name?"

The child didn't answer.

Horatio looked at his phone when it rang. He moved across the room.

"Calleigh," Horatio said.

"Horatio, we're on an abduction case, but things aren't adding up. Are you at the lab?"

"No. I am not."

"Okay. I'll call Ryan. I need someone to get a hold of the Fort Lauderdale police and get a case file."

"Ryan isn't there either. He's with me."

Ryan looked up at the mention of his name.

"Was there another case?"

"Not really. Natalia should be in. Ask her to work on getting the case file."

"Okay. Is everything all right? Is _he_ all right?"

"Everything is all right. Ask Natalia to assist you."

Horatio and Ryan both turned when the child started screaming. April was trying to pull her out.

"Stop," Ryan said, getting to his feet.

April didn't stop.

"I have to go," Horatio said, hanging up on Calleigh.

"Stop!" Ryan said, grabbing April's shoulder.

He looked back when Jake started growling. And so did April. Jake was snarling at her with his ears flat back against his head and his hackles standing on end. Ryan quickly grabbed his collar to keep him from doing something they would both regret. Horatio walked forward, taking April's shoulders and gently pulling her back.

"That will be enough."

"She can't stay in there, Horatio," April said, not letting the child go.

The child's screams turned to crying and changed pitch. Jake tried to lunge at April, and was luckily weighed down by Ryan's hundred or so pounds. He started barking and snarling at April, trying to break free so he could protect the child from what he perceived as a threat.

April turned her head just as the girl's fist swung out of the closet and landed right in her eye. April let go and the child scrambled back to the safety of her corner. Horatio pulled April away from the closet and Jake, hurrying her out of the room. Jake continued barking until she was out of sight, and then he strained to get into the closet. Ryan let him go and he dashed up to the child, licking her face. He looked back at Ryan as if he was blaming him for the whole ordeal.

Ryan sighed, nodding, "I know. I know. I'm supposed to protect her. I get it, Jake, alright?" Ryan stood. "Protect, Jake. Protect."

Ryan stepped out of the bedroom, watching Horatio and April in the kitchen. Horatio was making an icepack and helped her put it up to her eye.

"That child is bleeding, Horatio. She needs medical attention," April told him.

"I agree, but I don't think force is the way to get her to come out. She's scared."

"That dog needs to be removed."

"I don't think so," Ryan protested.

April looked up. "He was going to bite me!"

"You were making her scream and cry. He was just protecting her."

"So he knows the child?"

Horatio and Ryan looked at each other. Both had overlooked the most obvious question; the one that they should have been trying to figure out first. Jake wouldn't protect a stranger, even a child. So he had to know this one. But _how_?

"Has she ever taken care of Jake before?" Horatio asked Ryan.

"No. I've never met this child!"

"Then how does she know Jake?"

Ryan thought about that, trying to figure it out. He thought of all the places he took Jake, but he'd never seen this girl before. He shook his head and shrugged.

"Does Jake stay here by himself when you're at work? Have you ever boarded him somewhere?"

"No. When I'm at work..." Realization hit Ryan. He knew where Jake had probably met the child, and with whom. "The apartment owners take care of Jake when I'm at work or out of town, and Cynthia always takes him to the park with her. I have to go talk to her." Ryan headed for the front door.

"You're planning on putting a shirt before we do that, I hope."

Ryan looked down, realizing he was still in just jean cut-offs. He went back into his room for a shirt.

#

Horatio turned when Derek's door opened. Ryan smiled at him.

"Hey, Ryan," Derek said." What's going on down there? Is this about your window?"

"No, something else. Derek, when you guys have Jake, has there ever been a little brunette girl around him?"

Derek shrugged. "When we have Jake, I'm at work. Just a second. Cynthia, Ryan's gotta question for you, babe."

Cynthia joined him at the door, smiling at Ryan.

"Having a police ball in your apartment?" she asked.

Ryan and Horatio chuckled a little at the joke.

"No. Cynthia, when you've had Jake, has there been a little brunette girl around him?"

Cynthia thought a minute, and then nodded. "Yeah. At the park. She's there a lot a Hispanic woman she said was her nanny and sometimes a Hispanic girl her age. The woman always lets her come talk to Jake and he adores her, so I never thought it was a problem. Is that what all the commotion is about? Did I get Jake in trouble somehow?"

"No. You and Jake haven't done anything wrong. Do you know the girl's name?"

She shook her head. "I've asked but she hasn't ever told me. She's a real skittish little thing and always keeps Jake between her and I."

"Did you ever speak to her nanny?"

"No. The woman looked like she had a stick up her twat. She'd just sit on the bench and watch the girls like a hawk. And when that woman called, the little girl left no matter what she was doing."

"Would today be a day her nanny would be at the park?"

"Yes. She's there every afternoon Monday through Friday."

"This is my supervisor, Lieutenant Horatio Caine. Could you go to the park with him and point the nanny out?" Ryan asked.

"Is the kid in trouble?"

"I don't know."

"Oh. Well, let me get some shoes on."

"Just one more question," Ryan said.

Cynthia had moved inside to grab shoes by the door. She turned around."What?"

"Did she ever ask about Jake's owner?"

Cynthia smiled. "All the time. She said that sometimes she'd see you jog by her house with him."

"That narrows the area," Horatio commented.

"To a fifteen mile radius and a lot of houses," Ryan replied."Cynthia, did you tell her I'm a policeman?"

"Yes. She liked to hear the stories you told me about your job."

Ryan nodded. "Thank you."

"Cynthia," Horatio began, "at any point did you tell her living with an officer made you feel safe?"

The three were a little surprised by the question. Slowly Cynthia nodded.

"I'm sure I did, maybe more than once. It makes everyone here feel safer knowing Ryan's a police officer. Even cranky old Carpeli does, although she'd never admit it."

"Thank you," Horatio said. "I'll be waiting out front for you."

Ryan understood the hint and followed Horatio. They stopped on the sidewalk.

"Ryan, do not leave that little girl. She came to you because she trusts Cynthia's opinion of you."

"She doesn't even know me."

"It doesn't matter. She knows Cynthia and Jake can be trusted. That's why she came to you. Whatever she's running from, your place is the only place she feels safe right now. Do you understand?"

Ryan nodded.

The two looked up when Cynthia trotted up.

"Ready," Cynthia said with a slight smile.

Horatio walked to his Hummer and opened his door for her. Ryan headed back to his apartment.

"Ryan."

He turned and almost groaned when he saw Mrs. Carpeli shuffling toward him.

"What's going? What's all that ruckus at your apartment about?"

"I can't tell you anything right now, Mrs. Carpeli. Just go back inside."

"Is there a murderer in your apartment?"

"No. Go back inside."

"A rapist? I have a right to know if I'm in danger."

"You're not in danger, Mrs. Carpeli. Now please—"

"Is your niece okay?"

Ryan stopped talking. "My niece?"

"Yes. Your niece. She was here yesterday."

"What did this girl look like?"

"You don't know what your niece looks like?"

"My niece is on a band trip in Washington. What did this girl look like?"

"She said you were her uncle. She was all cut up and bruised. She said some bullies beat her up at the park and didn't want to go home; said she'd get in trouble if she showed up like that. She thought you lived in my apartment. Are you sure it wasn't your niece? She knew you were a policeman."

"Did you tell here where I lived?"

"Yes. I told her over there." Mrs. Carpeli pointed at Ryan's apartment.

"What happened after that?"

"She asked when you'd be home. Like I know that! You're home at all hours! Probably out drinking and whoring, aren't you?"

Ryan realized Horatio was right. This child chose him because she thought she'd be safe with him.

"Thank you for helping her. Now go on back to your apartment, okay? You're perfectly safe." Ryan turned to leave.

"What kind of a cop let's someone break into his apartment, anyway?"

Ryan turned back to her. "The kind that's human just like you and didn't _let_ someone break in."

Mrs. Carpeli stared at him with an expressionless face. Slowly she turned and started back to her apartment, muttering something under her breath and using his name a lot. Ryan risked a smile with her back turned. He headed back to his apartment. The only benefit of the conversation was that he was starting to imagine what might have happened. Ryan stopped at the door and pulled his wallet from a jacket pocket. He fished out two twenties, handing them to the officer near the door.

"Order two large pizzas. One half pepperoni and half cheese."

The man nodded. Ryan put his wallet back and went back to the bedroom. He sat down on the floor, and smiled. Jake was curled up next to the girl. She had laid down with her head on him and was finally sleeping. The thought crossed Ryan's mind that now would be a good time to get her out of the closet, but that wouldn't do much for her trust in him. He dug his cell phone out and called Horatio.

"Horatio."

"H, I need a CSI here."

The girl looked up at him and Ryan held her stare while he continued. "One of my neighbors just told me the girl claimed to be my niece. I think she did that to find out what apartment I lived in, and then broke the window to get in. Since she won't talk to us, maybe any evidence she left will tell us who she is."

"You didn't mention your bedroom window had been broken."

"I didn't think it was relevant until now. Can you send Callie, or Eric?"

"They're on a case. I'll ask Natalia."

"Thanks." Ryan hung up his phone.

The girl let her head drift down, staring somewhere else. Ryan could only imagine what atrocity would make a ten-year-old break into someone's house and risk getting cut so bad just to escape it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Natalia was just getting the results from the blood and hair samples when Calleigh walked into the lab.

"Anything good?"

"Yes. The blood on the window and the hair samples you gave me match."

"There were no other donors?"

"No. Their child was trying to escape them. Now why?"

"That's a good question. Did you get a hold of the Fort Lauderdale PD?"

"Yes. They said they'd have the report waiting when you get there."

"Thanks." Calleigh turned.

"You know that picture you took of the lock?"

Calleigh turned back.

"Which one?"

"The one of the inside?"

"Yes."

Natalia reached in her back pocket and pulled out a metal fingernail file. She sat it down before Calleigh.

"Our parents put a lock on my sister's when we were teenagers to keep me out – I liked to borrow her art supplies without asking and forget where I put them. I tried breaking in several times using a nail file, and it left those exact marks on the door."

Calleigh picked up the nail file and stared at it.

"What the hell was this child trying to escape, Calleigh? And who helped her plan her escape? To get out that window without setting off the alarm, and remove the bars… Either this child is very bright, or someone told her how to do this."

Natalia's phone rang and she looked at the face before answering it. "Morning, Horatio. You want me at Ryan's place? Why?"

Calleigh looked up at her. Natalia looked really confused.

"Yeah. I can do that. But if it's just for a broken wind… Oh. In his closet? How on Earth… Yeah. Okay. I'll leave right now." Natalia hung up, looking at Calleigh. "Ryan has a child in his closet."

Calleigh almost laughed, but could tell Natalia was serious. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Apparently a kid broke a window in his apartment and is in his closet, refusing to talk to anyone. This is going to be a weird, weird day." Natalia turned, walking out of the lab.

"Do you want your nail file back?"

Natalia trotted back, taking it with both hands. "I would die without it. Our job is murder on nails!"

Calleigh smiled, watching her hurry away.

#

Horatio and Cynthia climbed the hill to the playground. There were only a few children playing and the parents were scattered on benches around the equipment. Cynthia pointed across the park to a young Hispanic woman. The woman looked a little lost the way she stared at the sand of the playground.

"That's the nanny. And that girl on the edge there, that's her daughter. Or so I was told."

Horatio's gaze found the Hispanic child sitting on the edge of the equipment. She looked as despondent as her mother. Were they perhaps feeling the loss of the runaway in Ryan's closet?

"Wait here, Cynthia." Horatio walked toward the nanny, pulling his sunglasses off when he was a few feet from her.

She looked up at him.

"Good morning, ma'am," Horatio said. He had taken the time to hook his badge on the edge of his jeans before coming up here, and moved his hand to his hip to draw her eyes to it. She looked back up at his eyes. "Can I talk to you about the child you take care of?"

The woman's eyes narrowed a little. "¿Qué?"

Horatio knew right away this wasn't going to be as easy as a few questions. "Do you understand English, ma'am?"

She hesitated. "¿Inglés? No. No entiendo Inglés."

Horatio looked at her child as she came into view. She made a wide berth around him and climbed along the bench to her mother, who immediately wrapped her arm tight around the child. Neither of them trusted him.

"Do you understand English?" Horatio asked the child.

She nodded.

"That's good. You understand Spanish, I imagine?"

She nodded again.

"That's a very good skill to have. You should always keep that skill." Horatio crouched down so he came to the child's eye level. "My name is Lieutenant Caine and I work with the Miami Police Department. You and your mother look very sad today. Is someone you know missing?"

The girl glanced at her mother. The woman asked her a question and the girl answered. She nodded.

"She wants to know why you asked that question," the child told him.

"Well, do you see that lady standing over there?" Horatio pointed at Cynthia.

The child translated and they both nodded.

"Do either of you recognize her?"

The child translated the question, both nodding again. The woman said something.

"She's a friend of the girl momma takes care of."

"She said that. She said the girl likes the dog she brings here."

"That's Jake," the girl told him. "His owner is a policeman and the woman babysits Jake while he's working so he doesn't have to stay inside for a long time."

Horatio smiled, nodding. "That's right. That policeman works with me. We help solve crimes and sometimes mysteries. I have an especially good one right now. The little girl your momma takes care of won't tell me her name, and she's scared and injured. I was hoping that you two could tell me who her parents are so I can speak with them."

The girl translated. The woman stood suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at Horatio. He slowly stood, taking the verbal assault in stride. The woman stopped and there was silence. She turned to her daughter, motioning to him.

"She says you'll tell her where the girl is now. She ran away and now mother is out of a job. She wants her returned home immediately."

"I can't do that until I speak to her parents. Can you tell me their names or where they live?"

The girl told her mother what Horatio said. The woman grabbed the girl's arm and yanked her off the bench, storming away. The girl argued with her mother as she was led away. She turned back to Horatio.

"Her name is Alicia Yates. I don't her address."

"Thank you."

The two disappeared over the hill. Horatio turned and walked back to Cynthia.

"She seemed friendly," Cynthia sarcastically commented.

"She just lost her job. She wasn't very happy with my answers."

Cynthia fell in behind him as they walked back to his Hummer.

#

In the neat and perfect living room, Eric sat with Betty and Samuel Yates. Calleigh had taken evidence back to the lab and left him to do a follow-up interview. He had wanted to object because what he really wanted to know was what horrible things her parents had done to Alicia to make go the lengths she had to escape them.

"I understand that you adopted Alicia in Canada?" Eric asked. In his mind he followed the question with an angry hiss, _You sick mother fuckers! I will find out what you did to that little girl and you will regret ever meeting me._

"Yes," Samuel answered. "We gave the adoption papers to your colleague so she could make copies."

Eric nodded. How cooperative of them. "So far the evidence is telling us that Alicia broke window and removed the bars herself. Was she locked in her bedroom?"

Betty started crying.

Her husband held her as he nodded. "Alicia is suicidal."

"She's ten."

"So?" Samuel spat.

Eric bit his tongue to keep from snarling a reply back. Instead he asked, "Were you taking her to a counselor or therapist?"

"For a while we were, but then she got worse. Even with her medications."

Eric nodded, pretending to empathize him despite his internal voice constantly cussing at the couple. "I'll need her medicine bottles when we're done here. What methods did she use when she attempted suicide?"

"Several times she'd snuck out and was almost hit trying to cross the freeway. So we put a lock on the door, and alarm and bars on all the windows. She used a nail file to try picking the lock."

Eric stared at Samuel for a few seconds. That hadn't even come close to answering the question.

"Has Alicia ever actually attempted suicide? Such as slitting her wrists? Taking pills? Trying to shoot or hang herself?"

The two hesitated.

"She wouldn't stay here where it was safe," Betty told Eric. "She would run into traffic when she had her fits. She wouldn't eat what we told her to. She was trying to destroy herself."

Eric looked from one to the other. What were these two hiding about their daughter? They came right to the edge of admitting something, and then diverted the conversation as if they were trying to keep him from becoming to interested in the topic at hand. For now, Eric decided to play along even if this interview was making him angrier by the minute.

"What kind of therapist is she seeing?"

"Can I have the name of the therapist?"

"Gail Hutchins, but she hasn't seen Alicia in months."

"Why not?"

"She started believing Alicia's delusions and saying we were the source of Alicia's behavior problems."

"And you haven't taken her to another one? Even with her alleged suicide attempts?"

"Alleged?" Betty hissed. "Look, if you're not going to believe our daughter is ill and disturbed, then you should go."

Eric stood, more than happy to leave. "Okay. I need her medications."

"You want them, you get a warrant," Samuel told him.

Eric shrugged. "Okay. I'll do that." He picked up his kit and walked out with the officer that was escorting him.

#

Calleigh walked down the hall with a case file in hand. She noticed Horatio in a lab and glanced at the screen he was staring at as she passed. She stopped short and turned. She suddenly ran to the door and flew into the room, staring at the girl on his screen.

"Calleigh?" Horatio said.

Calleigh opened her case file and held up a photo. "Alicia Yates. How is she connected to your case?"

Horatio reached out, taking the photograph. He held it at arms length.

"I think I have the exact same question for you, Calleigh."

"Is she okay?"

Horatio cocked his head to the side with a raised eyebrow. "I wouldn't go as far as to say the child is okay, but no further harm will come to her." Horatio handed the photograph back. "What can you tell me about Alicia Yates?"

Calleigh sat down on a stool. "Her parents adopted Alicia in Canada, they say she's a suicidal ten-year-old, and that her therapist is accusing them of kidnapping her. The only follow-up on her accusation was a copy of the adoption papers."

"So Alicia was seeing a therapist?"

"Yes. I'm headed out to speak to her now."

"May I join you?"

"Sure. Is Alicia the child that broke into Ryan's apartment and is hiding in his closet?"

Horatio headed for the door and she followed him.

"She is."

"Did she know that Ryan lived there?"

"We think so."

"Do we know why she picked him?"

"She became friends with the apartment owner's wife through Ryan's dog. With what she told Alicia about Ryan, it may have made Alicia believe that Ryan could and would protect her from her parents."

They caught the elevator as a lab tech was exiting.

"Horatio, if this child was feeling so threatened by her parents that she would break into a complete stranger's home for protection, there is something very dark going on in her life."

Horatio put on his sunglasses as the doors closed. "I agree, and we're about to shed light on it."

#

"Alicia," Ryan said.

The child looked up at him. He was crouched outside the closet holding a pizza and two bottles of water. Natalia crouched beside him, staring at the girl, and still wearing a surprised expression.

"This is my friend Natalia," Ryan told Alicia. "She just told me your name is Alicia. That's a pretty name. Can I come in and share a pizza with you, Alicia?"

Her face clouded. "That's not my name!"

Ryan looked at the pizza. "You didn't have to snap at me. I guess I'll go eat this in the living room." He moved slowly as he stood and turned to leave.

Alicia sat up. "Okay."

"Okay?" Ryan asked, turning and tilting his head so he could see her.

Jake was still laying next to her, also watching Ryan – or rather the pizza box. Ryan had probably shared more pizza with Jake than was good for the German Sheppard and he knew what treat hid inside that box.

"I'm sorry. I'll share."

Ryan turned and moved into the closet on the other side of Jake. "Jake-o, go on. Get. Cynthia's here to take you for a walk."

"No!" Alicia grabbed him as he started to get up.

"Alicia, he has—"

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME!" she screamed at him.

Ryan cringed. In the small space, her high pitched voice may as well have been nails on a chalkboard.

"Fine. What is your name then?"

"Amanda."

Ryan stared at her. He had expected some strange name like he'd heard other kids say when they were in denial or upset.

"Amanda, he needs to potty. Can Cynthia take him to potty?"

They both looked up when Cynthia crouched down. She smiled at Alicia.

"Hi," she said.

Alicia didn't smile back. Cynthia reached out, looping her fingers around Jake's collar.

"I'll bring him back when you've finished lunch, Alic… Amanda."

"Promise?" Alicia softly asked.

"I promise."

Alicia let the dog go and Jake went with Cynthia.

Ryan sat the box down and opened it, exposing the pizza. He handed her a bottle of water. She took it, wincing a little. Ryan picked up a slice of pizza and started eating it. He watched her timidly reach out and take a slice. She turned it to take a bite as tears started falling. She dropped the slice and hunched over with her fingers outstretched. Now he could see her hands and they were torn to shreds with piece of glass embedded in the flesh. He had a hard time swallowing his bite. Ryan sat his slice in the box and closed the lid.

"I'm going to call a paramedic in here and we let him bandage your hands. Okay?"

"No."

"You're hands—"

"NO!"

He cringed again.

"Okay. Okay. How about this… Natalia can call a paramedic in here, and he'll tell me how to bandage your hands. I'll sit right there next to you, you won't have to move."

She didn't answer. Ryan hoped that meant she was okay with the idea and nodded. Natalia left. Ryan moved the pizza over and sat down. Natalia and a paramedic entered, crouching down

"You are going to tell me how to bandage Amanda's hands."

"I really should do that."

Ryan looked the medic in the eyes. "We are going to do this together, understand? If you'll notice, things have changed since you were last in here."

The paramedic looked from one to the other. He nodded, setting his bag down.

"I need something to put the glass in."

Natalia dug out a plastic evidence container, tweezers and gloves out of her field kit, and handed them to Ryan.

Ryan turned to Alicia. "Should I just pull the pieces out?" Ryan asked the paramedic.

"You're going to have to. It's going to hurt, kiddo."

Alicia pulled away when Ryan reached out to pull a piece out. Ryan shot the paramedic a dark look.

"It won't stop hurting at all until I get the glass out, Amanda," Ryan told her.

It took her so long to hold her hands out that Ryan thought he hadn't convinced her. Slowly her fingers uncurled and she held her hands in the light. As gently as he could, Ryan removed the shards of glass.

Alicia managed to hold back the tears until he started pulling out a long glass sliver embedded deep in the heel of her hand. Ryan dropped it in the container and leaned forward, blowing gently on it. It was something he remembered his mother doing when she pulled slivers out and he was secretly proud when it had the same effect on Alicia it had on him. Her tears stopped and she relaxed so he could finish pulling out glass.

"Can you feel any more in your hands?" Ryan asked.

She shook her head, sniffling back her tears. He capped the jar and handed the tweezers and jar to the medic.

"Give her the jar," he said, motioning to Natalia.

The medic did, and then handed Ryan a tube of antibiotic ointment, scissors, two rolls of bandages, and tape.

"You want it snug enough to immobilize the fingers but not cut circulation. It should look like mittens when you're done."

Ryan started bandaging a hand. He finished her hand and tossed the tape, scissors, and tube back. Natalia followed the medic out as se made a call on her cell phone.

He sat his pizza on his lap and handed Alicia's piece of pizza to her. She carefully took it and watched him until he started eating. Then she began eating her piece.

Quietly Alicia told him, "They won't let me have pizza."

"Who?" Ryan asked. "You're parents?"

"They aren't my parents, but yes."

"Why won't they?"

"They say it's bad for my voice."

"Bad for your voice? What does that mean?"

"Yes. They tell me if I put on too much weight, it would affect my voice."

Ryan stopped chewing. "Do you sing, Amanda?"

"Yes. They make me sing in operas. I hate operas."

Ryan finished his bite. "I bet you have a beautiful voice, though. Maybe you can show me sometime."

She didn't offer a time or agree to now. The two ate the rest of their lunch in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Horatio and Calleigh climbed out of the Hummer outside of a small house with a loft over the garage. Calleigh checked the piece of paper she'd written the address on, and then looked at the house.

"This is it."

They followed the drive up to the front walk and passed through a trellis of bright flowers. The two CSI stopped when they saw the door ajar. They drew their sidearms and crept to the door.

"Miami PD," Horatio called out at the door.

There was no answer.

Calleigh moved to the opposite side of the door and tapped it with her gun.

"Is there anyone home?" Calleigh asked.

No one answered.

The two slowly crept into the home.

At the stairs by the door Horatio aimed up the steps. He noticed blood drops along the railing.

"I'll take upstairs," he told her.

"Be careful," Calleigh said as she moved away.

"You too."

Horatio moved up the steps, avoiding the blood and hugging the wall to the top. He turned at the top and was in the master bedroom. There was a man in the bed and a woman laying half on, half off the bed. Blood had turned the carpet under the woman dark red, and the maroon sheet covering the man to his chest almost black. Horatio moved slowly around the corner to the bathroom, waiting until he had it cleared before he relaxed. He walked over to the bed, staring at the two.

"Horatio?" Calleigh called from downstairs.

"It's clear up here."

"Down here too. There's a teenage boy down here, looks like two rounds to the chest."

"I have two victims up here. Man in his forties and woman in her late thirties or early forties. Presumably Doctor Gail Hutchins."

"I'll go call it in."

Horatio didn't respond. This was not how he'd hoped to find Alicia's therapist.

#

Ryan started to scoot out of the closet. He turned when Alicia grabbed his arm. She had found a rolled up sleeping bag under a shelf in the corner – Ryan had forgotten all about it – and used it for a pillow to take a nap.

"I have to use the restroom."

She didn't let go.

"Ali… Amanda, I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back." Ryan gently pulled her hands off him and crawled out. He took a step but stopped when he felt a hand grab the back of his shorts. He turned, finding her standing right behind him. He crouched down in front of her.

"Are you ready to talk to the child advocate?"

She leaned forward, burying her face against his shoulder. Ryan put a hand on the back of her head, gently patting her head.

"Okay. Not yet. But I have to use the restroom. You'll have to wait out here."

"I want to stay with you."

"Not while I'm in the restroom. You have to wait out here."

Alicia walked over to the bathroom door and stood next to it. Ryan stood and went in. He finished, washed his hands and came out, finding her still there.

"Do you need to go?"

She nodded.

"Go ahead."

She went in but didn't close the door. Ryan started to close it and she spun around, grabbing it and pulling back. He let go, the two staring at each other.

"You need to close the door while you're going."

She shook her head.

"Alicia, I ca—"

"Not my name," she quietly told him.

"Amanda, we can't… You know what. I'll stand outside the bedroom door. You call me when you get out. Okay?"

"I want you to stay right there."

"Amanda, that's not appropriate. I can't do that."

"I can stand outside while you go," Natalia said.

Ryan turned, finding her behind him. He looked down at Alicia.

"Can my friend stay here while you go? I'll wait right outside the bedroom."

Alicia looked from one to the other. Slowly she nodded. Ryan turned, mouthing, '_Thank you_,' to Natalia as he passed. She smiled, patting his shoulder. Ryan stopped in the short hall that opened into the living room. There was only one officer in the room. The rest had stepped out for a smoke. Jake was sound asleep on the couch, unaffected by all the people. Ryan turned back to watch the bedroom while he waited. He was trying to figure out why Alicia was convinced her parents weren't her parents.

"Where's the girl?"

Ryan turned, staring at Eric.

"She's using the restroom."

"She broke out her bedroom window and ran away from home. You shouldn't leave her alone."

"I didn't. Natalia is with her."

"How is she?"

"Scared and not very vocal."

"Has she said why she ran away?"

Ryan shook his head. He looked up when Natalia walked up.

"She's waiting in the closet for you."

Ryan went back to his closet, sitting down in the spot next to her. He watched Eric walk in and look around the room. He realized it was the first time Eric had ever been to his apartment. Eric finally crouched down, smiling at Alicia.

"Hi. My name's Eric. Your mom and dad said your name is Alicia."

"Don't yell," Ryan quickly said, cutting Alicia off seconds before she yelled at Eric. "We use indoor voices in closets, okay?"

Alicia looked up at him and whispered, "That's not my name."

"I know, but you don't need to yell at him. He doesn't know that."

Alicia looked at Eric, telling him, "My name is Amanda."

Eric smiled. "That's a pretty name too. Where did you come up with that name?"

She didn't answer.

"Tell him where you came up with it?"

She turned her head, hiding her face from Eric. Ryan looked at him.

"She told me her real parents called her that."

"Real parents, Amanda? Who are they?"

She didn't answer. Eric looked at Ryan, who shrugged. He had only been able to get tidbits of information out of her and they hadn't painted a very clear picture.

"Amanda, if you don't talk to Eric, then I'll have to talk to him and tell him everything myself. I might get it wrong."

She didn't move or speak.

Ryan sighed. "She says that the Yates aren't her parents. Natalia mentioned that they said they adopted her in Canada. She told me she lived in Canada once, but not with them. She said that they killed her mother, and she wants to be with her dad, but she won't tell me their names. And she said her father watches her when she goes the restroom or gets dressed, but he's never touched her wrong."

"He's not my father!" Amanda snarled into Ryan's sleeve.

Ryan shrugged a little.

"Where is your real dad?" Eric asked.

She didn't speak.

"Ryan, do something."

Ryan looked up at him. "Like what?"

"We have to get answers."

"You have evidence, don't you?"

"Yes, but—"

"Use it. If she's telling the truth, the evidence will tell us that."

Eric wanted to argue, but he didn't. "I need to get a DNA sample from her."

"Gloves and a swab."

Alicia looked up when Ryan leaned forward to catch the items he tossed to him. She watched him pull on the latex gloves and then looked up when he looked down at her.

"This won't hurt at all. You open your mouth and I brush this swab inside your mouth, right here." Ryan pointed to his cheek. "And that's it. Okay?"

She nodded.

Ryan opened the plastic cap and pushed the swab out. "Open up."

She opened her mouth and he gently swabbed her cheek. He capped the swab and handed it back to Eric.

"If you find out anything else, let me know, okay?" Eric told Ryan.

"Okay."

Eric left.

Ryan pulled the gloves off and sat them on the floor. Alicia picked one up and clumsily worked it around so she could blow into it like a balloon. Ryan smiled when she failed a few times. He gently pulled it away and blew it up for her, tying off the end. He handed it to her, then blew up the second, handing it to her. She laid down, using his thigh as a pillow and played for a few minutes with the gloves-turned-balloons.

"Ryan?"

"Hm?"

"Do you believe me?"

Ryan didn't answer until she looked up at him. He smiled, brushing hair out of her eyes. "Why don't you take a nap? You've been up a very long time."

"Do you believe me?"

"I don't know."

She turned her head, staring at nothing. Jake sauntered into the room and sniffed both of them. He turned a few times in front of Alicia before laid down with a grunt. She wrapped an arm around Jake.

"Ryan?"

"Hm?"

"Can you put your hand on my shoulder? So I know you're there."

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be right here when you wake up, okay?"

"Okay."

Alicia closed her eyes. Ryan laid his head against the wall, letting his mind wander.

#

Maxine clipped the end of the swab into a tube, added a few drops of solution to the tube. She turned and put the tube into the thermal cycler and started it.

She turned to a screen, pulling up a police record. The man's name on it was Darien Jericho. He was flagged as a Canadian resident and was scheduled for transfer back to Canada in the next few days. She accessed his DNA record and moved it to a side screen. She skimmed his file and stopped at a name: Heidi Jericho.

She pulled up the records for Heidi Jericho. DECEASED was in red at the top of the file. She started working through it in search of a DNA profile for the woman. She finally found it and moved it to the side screen.

Maxine glanced at the thermal cycler when it beeped to let her know it was done. She waited for her computer to compose the DNA profile and then started it working on a comparison between Alicia's sample to the Jericho's. Maxine glanced up when Horatio entered the lab.

"Miss Valera, how are the DNA results coming?"

As if it knew he was there, the computer came back with some answers.

"Well, she's the daughter of Heidi and Darien Jericho, not Betty and Samuel Yates."

"The Yates did say they adopted her, but it appears her biological parents were trying to take her back."

"They shouldn't have even known where she was, Horatio."

"No. They shouldn't have."

Calleigh stopped at the door and pushed it open, standing in the doorway. "Horatio, you have two visitors waiting up front. And Eric just arrived with Gail Hutchins' records. We'll be in the meeting room with them when you're done."

"Thank you." Horatio left the lab through the opposite door.

#

Horatio came around the corner to find two men waiting. The lawyer was easy to recognize in his tailored suit and spotless appearance. He held the handle of a shiny, new briefcase.

The other man was much older and would have stuck out on any Miami street. He wore jeans, worn cowboy boots, a plain red T-shirt under a light jacket with several patches on it for organizations Horatio had never heard of, and held a weather worn cowboy hat in his hands. His sunglasses, hooked into the neck of his shirt, were a large aviator style that were cheap, but probably provided more UV protection than most prescription sunglasses. A leather backpack that had seen years of travel was slung over his shoulder by one strap.

"I was told you gentlemen wanted to see me."

"We're not together," the spotless lawyer said. "I'm Jeff Lambert, the Yates attorney. Am I to understand you know of their daughter's whereabouts?"

"You understand correctly."

"You do realize that it's considered kidnapping by not telling her parents of her whereabouts?"

The older man looked at the young man and when he spoke, Horatio heard the unmistakable accent of a Canadian.

"Unless of course the Lieutenant feels she might be in danger, in which case he as a legal right to retain custody until you can prove your clients aren't putting that li'l girl in jeopardy."

Jeff turned to the man, staring at him. "And who are you?"

"Alicia Yates, or Amanda Jericho's, attorney."

"The Yates never hired an attorney for her."

The Canadian grinned. "You're right. _They_ didn't."

"Then who did?"

"I'm to keep my client's identity withheld until trial… If it comes to that. Is it going to come to that?"

"You aren't even from America."

"On the contrary, I reinstated my citizenship three days ago. I have every right to practice in America."

Horatio smiled. He definitely liked this Canadian who clearly was determined to protect the child in question.

"Your degree wasn't earned in America."

"I do believe that Yale is still in Connecticut. Am I mistaken? Has it moved to foreign soil recently?"

The veins in Jeff's neck were starting to puff out. Horatio decided he should step in before he had a lawyer brawl in the middle of reception – one he was sure the older of the two lawyers would probably win.

"Mister Lambert, we are protecting Alicia until we can sort out the details. She ran away for a reason, and we need to determine what reason that is. She is convinced the Yates are not her parents and when we went to speak to Alicia's therapist, we found her entire family murdered. We have more questions than the Yates are willing to answer, something you might consider convincing your client to do, Mister Lambert."

"Gail Hutchins was murdered?" Lambert asked.

"She and her family were, and until this matter is cleared up, Alicia will remain in protective police custody. That, Mister Lambert, is not kidnapping."

"They would like to see their daughter. Where is she at?"

"Until I know more about what is happening here, I will not divulge that information to you, Mister Lambert."

Fed up by the stonewalling, Jeff turned and stormed to the elevator. He jammed his finger against the call button, and then turned back to Horatio.

"We will sue."

"I look forward to it," Horatio told him with a smile.

The elevator opened and he got on. Horatio waited until the elevator closed and turned to the Canadian.

"You don't look like a lawyer."

The Canadian shrugged with a smile. "I get that a lot."

"Do you have proof you are a citizen and you're a lawyer?"

He dug papers out of his backpack and handed them over. Horatio looked them over and nodded. "Ralph Lohr, is it?"

"Yes."

"Who hired you to represent the child?"

"My son-in-law. Darien Jericho."

"So that would make her your granddaughter."

"Yep. _Is_ my granddaughter okay? Those people can't find her, can they?"

"Physically, I believe she is okay, and no, the Yates cannot find her. She is safe."

"Amanda—" He stopped, offering a smile. "She'll always be Amanda to me, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. She apparently has decided that's her name too."

"You need to understand something, Lieutenant Caine. Amanda is a rarity. She's in that small percentile that blows the top off IQ charts. That little girl was walking when she was five months, and talking when she was nine months."

"Then there's a chance she might have plotted her own escape?"

"If those assholes – pardon the French – didn't rip her intelligence out, yes. They kidnapped her when she was four. We've been looking for her for years. My daughter and son-in-law hired a P.I. and put everything they had into finding their daughter. He finally found her in Fort Lauderdale. I tried to convince them to let me handle getting her back legally, but they were impatient and were on a vendetta to get their little girl back. Cost my little girl her life, and Darien his freedom. So… When I heard she'd run'd away, I got on a plane to come see if I couldn't get her back legally."

"Do you have proof they kidnapped her? They have adoption papers."

"Forged adoption papers." Ralph presented Horatio with a manila folder. "You'll find legal documents with my daughter and Darien's signatures on them. Prove it for yourself."

"I will do that."

"Is there any chance I could see my client?"

"Not yet."

Ralph nodded. "Keep me informed, Lieutenant. I'm prepared to take whatever legal measures are necessary to protect her and bring her home."

Horatio smiled. "So am I, Ralph."

Ralph held out his hand, a surprise move to Horatio. He wasn't used to this kind of behavior in a lawyer. He took Ralph's hand and they shook hands.

"I'm at the Palm Hotel. Room 425."

"I'll be in touch."

Ralph walked to the elevator and tapped the button. He got on the elevator, putting his cowboy hat on as he turned. Horatio heard someone walk up behind him and stop, but he didn't look away from Ralph until the door close.

"Who was that?" Eric asked.

"He says he's Alicia Yates' lawyer and biological grandfather."

"You're kidding."

Horatio smiled as he turned. "I am not. Have you found anything in the therapists records?"

"Yeah. Doctor Hutchins began using hypnosis on Alicia four months ago. That's when things started coming to the surface. At first Doctor Hutchins wrote that she thought the child wasn't actually under hypnosis. She noted that Alicia was highly intelligent and thought she could imitate it. But the last five sessions began changing when Alicia started telling her about a past life she had before she was four. The second to last sessions, she said the Yates kidnapped her from a park. Doctor Hutchins contacted the authorities. The last session was interrupted by the Yates because the police contacted them about the accusation."

"Okay. Were you able to recover the bullets from the scene?"

"Tara called while we were going through the records and Calleigh went to get them."

"Keep working on the records, Eric. Did you drop the adoption papers of at Q.D.?"

"Yeah. What's that?" Eric asked, nodding at the folder Horatio held.

Horatio smiled. "It may be something the Yates never wanted us to find, Eric." Horatio turned and headed into the lab.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Calleigh empted the bullets from the envelopes and carefully cleaned them. She put one of the bullets under a microscope, and then walked across to a computer. She brought up a picture of a bullet, and then brought up an image of the bullet under the microscope. Using the computer, she turned them until she had a perfect striation match. The match did not make her happy. She changed screens and ran a search.

The computer came up with a match to a gun and serial number, and attached to both was a picture of Samuel Yates.

"One dirty little secret down," Calleigh told Samuel's photograph.

#

"Alicia," Eric said.

Ryan opened his eyes, pulling himself from sleep. It had finally won after four hours with nothing to do.

"Alicia." Eric called again.

Ryan gently shook her shoulder to wake her.

Eric smiled as soon as she looked at him. "Hi. I've come back with more questions. Will you talk to me this time?"

Alicia didn't answer. Eric looked up at Ryan.

"What questions?" Alicia asked.

Jake jumped up and trotted out of the room. Ryan started to scoot out and she grabbed his arm.

"I'll be right back. Jake needs to potty and wants fed. I promise I won't be gone long."

Alicia didn't let go.

Ryan leaned over, taking her hand. "I promise. I won't go far. I have to take care of Jake too."

She let his arm go. Ryan climbed out and left Eric to his questioning.

In the living room Jake was soaking up the attention officer Anthony Guerro was giving him. Guerro held a cell phone in one hand, doing something on it.

"Guess we should have called for CSI after all," Ryan joked.

Anthony smiled, nodding. "Guess so."

"Eric's in there with her. I'll be right back."

Anthony watched Ryan grab Jake's leash, which signaled the dog to run to him. Ryan clipped on the leash and left the apartment. Anthony glanced at the bedroom, then out the window. He was alone in the room. He dialed a phone number on his phone as he stood and walked to the window. He pulled the curtain back, watching Ryan walk toward the street, and two officers standing outside chatting.

"Yeah. It's me. I verified the transfer. Here's the address."

Anthony moved over to a neat stack of envelopes on a stand by the door and read off Ryan's address.

#

Horatio turned a corner, almost running into Cynthia Wells. She stepped back, smiling as she held up a folder.

"The entire document is a forge," she said.

Horatio took the folder, opening it. She leaned over his arm. "They made some classic errors. There's hesitation marks in the strokes here." She pointed them all out. "And then the J for both the Heidi and Darien, they leaned the wrong way in both cases." Cynthia stepped back. "And there's more. I contacted the adoption agency that this came from and asked them if they have an identifying watermarks or seals on their documents. The paper is missing agency seal watermark in the lower left corner of each page."

"Thank you Ms. Wells."

"No problem." She turned and walked away.

"Horatio," Calleigh called as she hurried down the hall toward him.

He turned toward her.

"The bullets recovered from the Hutchins match the bullet that killed Heidi Jericho. They are from Samuel Yates' nine millimeter."

Horatio pulled his cell phone off, dialing a number. "The Yates are trying to cover that they kidnapped Alicia." To the phone Horatio said, "Tripp, I need you to pick up Betty and Samuel Yates for murder."

#

Tripp and three officers approached the door. Tripp stopped and ran the doorbell. They waited. He hit a fist on the door once and it swung open. He drew his weapon, motioning the officer to draw theirs. The group entered the house. Tripp moved down the hall toward the bedrooms. He paused at the Yates' bedroom, taking a moment to take in the mess the room was in. He moved down the hall toward Alicia's room. It was also a mess, with clothes strewn everywhere. He moved to the last room, the bathroom. The medicine chest was open and items were scattered.

"Clear!" he heard the officers say one at a time. He added, "Clear," and headed back down the hall.

"Why would they leave?" an officer asked another.

Tripp frowned. "They knew we'd figure out Alicia isn't theirs and they'd killed people to hide it."

Tripp stopped in the living room. "Put out an APB. They are to be considered armed and dangerous."

An officer left to obey the order.

Tripp saw something sitting on the floor between a chair and end table. He holstered his gun as he walked over and reached between it, pulling out a notepad of paper. He turned it a little, seeing indentations on it. He looked down at the pen on the table. Tripp walked into the kitchen and looked for a pencil. He found one and shaded the paper with a pencil, careful not to push to hard and destroy the indentations under it. He knew a CSI would have to do this right for court, but right now they had to find the Yates before they hurt someone.

As the last note written revealed itself, his stomach tightened into a cold ball. He dropped the pencil and called Horatio.

As soon as he answered Tripp told him, "Horatio, I found a pad of paper and the last thing written on it was Ryan's address. Someone told them where that little girl is."

"Go to Ryan's immediately!" Horatio ordered.

Tripp dropped the pad, running for the door with the officers right behind.

#

Ryan had left Alicia and Jake sleeping in the closet. He needed to do so he pulled the laundry out of the dryer and started putting it away. He glanced at the two as he folded it and put it away. Jake opened his eyes every so often, watching Ryan. If he caught Ryan watching him, his tail would flop once or twice, but he didn't move. It didn't bother Ryan he was protective of the child. She needed someone she could trust and Jake was best suited for that.

Ryan froze when he heard the all too familiar sound of a gunshot. He dropped the shirt he was folding on the bed and stepped into the door of the bedroom.

The two officers that had been watching television were on their feet. One was standing facing the door. The other was looking outside from the edge of the window. Suddenly he drew his gun and the other followed. Ryan turned and in two steps was at his bedside table. He pulled his gun out of the drawer and cocked it.

He turned as a gunshot exploded in the living room, scaring Jake and Alicia awake. He ran over to Alicia, letting her grab his arm as he latched onto Jake's collar. Jake started barking when another gunshot ripped through the silence.

"Go into the bathroom," Ryan told her.

"No. I don't want—"

"DROP THE GUN! BOTH OF YOU!"

That was Horatio's voice. Ryan pulled hard on Jake's collar, pulling him with him toward the bathroom.

"Bathroom! Now!" Ryan ordered Alicia.

She jumped up and ran into the bathroom. Ryan half drug his upset dog with him. The three ran into the bathroom.

"Get in the tub."

"Why?"

"It's safer there. Get in."

Alicia obeyed. Ryan lifted Jake and laid him next to Alicia.

"Stay. Protect. Stay," he ordered Jake.

Alicia looped her fingers around his collar, watching Ryan slam the door shut. He heard another gunshot in the living room followed by something breaking.

"Keep your head down, Amanda," Ryan ordered.

"I want out!" Alicia said as she started crying.

Ryan turned when the door smashed against the wall and stared down the barrel of Samuel Yates' nine millimeter. Ryan moved, placing himself between the tub and the man, aiming his nine millimeter at Samuel.

"Alicia, come to me," Samuel ordered.

"Stay in there, Alicia," Ryan quietly ordered.

"SHUT UP!" Samuel yelled at Ryan.

Behind him, Jake began growling.

"Jake, stay. Stay," Ryan ordered.

The order confused Samuel, but not enough to distract him.

"Alicia, you will come to me right now. Get out of that tub."

From the bedroom Ryan heard Horatio order, "Put down your weapon, Mister Yates."

Samuel turned so he could watch both rooms. He cocked his gun, staring at someone in the bedroom, presumably Horatio. Horatio was probably staring down the barrel of his gun at Yates, steady and with every intention to kill the man before he would let him leave with Alicia.

"I have this man in my sights. If you don't back off, I'll kill him."

"It's a stalemate," Ryan called out so Horatio could hear. "Neither of us are letting you take her with you."

"She's not even your daughter."

"We adopted her!"

"The adoption papers are forged, most likely by your own hand."

Ryan watched Samuel get nervous. It wasn't good to let this man get nervous, not with his finger on the trigger of a cocked gun. Something fell behind Ryan, crashing on the ceramic. Instinctually Ryan dropped – later he'd think he never should have moved.

Samuel pulled the trigger and the bullet grazed the side of Ryan's temple, searing the nerve ends. The following pain made him instantly dizzy and he grabbed at air as he fell back, lost his balance when his foot hit the tub instead of floor, and fell, whacking the already bleeding wound against the edge of the toilet.

In those seconds it took him to fall six more gunshots boomed in his ears. He heard Jake start barking wildly. He tried to order him to stay, to protect Alicia, but his brain was too busy dealing with the dizzying pain. Ryan looked up, making out the blurry figure of Samuel. Was he moving toward him with his gun aimed at Ryan? Ryan tried to shake off the concussion but it was too stubborn to be shaken away so easily.

Ryan lifted his hand, feeling fur brush across his hand. He closed his eyes, hearing someone scream in pain and Jake growling and barking. Somewhere close a gun went off. Jake yelped, and then continued growling and barking. He heard Horatio and Eric's voices order, "FREEZE!"

Ryan's consciousness slipped from him. If felt like only second passed before he was suddenly aware of pressure against the wound on his head that made it hurt worse than it should have.

"The wound isn't deep. A mild concussion," someone nearby said. "He doesn't need to go to the hospital."

The pressure left and the pain eased. Ryan heard voices around him. Someone was talking to dispatch, but he couldn't make out what was being said. There was someone whispering. He heard the soft creak of leather shoes on one side. On the opposite side, someone softly sniffled. Ryan could feel he wasn't sitting up straight. He opened his yes, staring down at his lap and Jake. The dog was lying on his legs, his head pressed against Ryan's stomach.

"Jake," Ryan said as he blinked away the dizziness. "Get off."

He turned toward the sniffling, looking into Calleigh's face. She was crying. Something had happened.

"Where's Alicia?" Ryan asked. He gently pushed against Jake's back to encourage him to get off. "Jake, get off."

Calleigh looked down at Jake. "Alicia's fine," she whispered.

Ryan looked down at Jake. The dozen seconds he'd stared at Calleigh had given his mind brain time to clear his vision, and now he saw it. Blood wet his legs, the ends of his shorts, and the floor. The blood wet the light colored fur of Jake's stomach, where it had quickly let his life run from him.

Ryan didn't want to believe what he was seeing. He leaned over, pulling Jake into his arms. "Jake?"

Jake didn't move. He didn't lick Ryan's hand. His tail didn't wag. His eyes remained fixed on some infinite point.

"Jake-o? Jake?"

Ryan felt it coming. He felt his anxiety attack building. His world wasn't right. The order was out of whack. Securities he put in place, securities that had been built on his friendship with Jake, were shattering in his mind.

Horatio seemed to sense Ryan was on the verge of losing it. He crouched down in front of Ryan. He laid a hand on his leg, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He wanted his CSI to know he was there, and he could understand the loss he was feeling right now.

"Ryan, you have to breath. Long, deep breathes. Can you do that for me? Can you take long deep breaths?"

Ryan looked at him, starting to shake his head. He had lost his senses. He didn't feel himself hyperventilating as the anxiety continued to build.

"Yes you can. You can." Horatio encouraged him. Using his voice to express what he wanted, Horatio said again, "Looooong deep breaths."

Ryan instinctually imitated him. Horatio nodded. "Good. Good. Ryan, I think you might have chosen the wrong law enforcement career path."

The statement did what Horatio wanted. It forced Ryan to focus on something else.

"What?"

Horatio smiled a little. He glanced at Calleigh. She was leaning against the tub. She had her head turned toward the wall with her hand over her mouth with hot tears running down her face.

"Jake did what a good K-9 would do. He protected you. Samuel was going to shoot you and he protected you. He attacked Samuel and brought him down for us, even after he was shot. And when we had Samuel restrained, he came back to make sure you were okay. With a little help." Horatio glanced at Calleigh. "You should be proud of him, Ryan."

Ryan glanced at Calleigh. Now he saw all of her and he understood what she had done. When the shooting had stopped, when Samuel was secured, she must have come in and saw the dying dog trying to crawl to Ryan. She picked him up, staining her shirt and pants with his blood and placed him on Ryan's lap. She had helped grant Jake's one last wish – to be in his owner's arms when he died.

Ryan looked down at Jake, stroking his fur.

Softly he whispered, "I am proud of you."


	6. Epilogue for my fellow doggie lovers

**Epilogue**

_

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yikes! I got a lot of upset PMs for that ending. Not sure that necessarily attests to my skill as a writer, but despite the upsetness of them, it was heartwarming to know just how many puppy lovers are fellow CSI fans also. So I consulted with my muse (aka a Golden Retriever named Ladybug) and she concurred we should offer up a happy ending for all those who love their bed-hogging, pizza loving, and (in my case) oversized lap doggies..._**  
**

* * *

Ryan left the police building, heading toward his car. He saw Horatio's Hummer was parked a space away and Horatio was standing by the back door, staring at his phone. Ryan passed him.

"Night, H," Ryan called. He dug his keys out, hitting the unlock button on his car remote.

"Mister Wolfe."

Ryan stopped and turned. Horatio looked up from his phone.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if I could trouble you to consider taking in a roommate for a while."

Ryan smiled a little. "A roommate? Who?"

Horatio opened the door and reached in. He said something inaudible and from his Hummer leapt out a young German Sheppard. He turned, holding an envelope and the end of a leash. He walked up to Ryan, holding the leash and envelope out to Ryan.

Ryan didn't accept either.

"H… I really don't—"

"Her name is Loki. Her owner was killed last night and she is homeless. We found paperwork for her. She is purebred and has already competed in several dog shows." Horatio extended his hands out further, silently urging Ryan to accept the gift he was offering.

Ryan looked at him, then down at the dog. She met his eyes and her tail slowly wagged. She was just as unsure about what to do as Ryan was. Ryan crouched down and her tail wagged a little harder. She walked up to him, licking his hand when he extended it. She leaned into his fingers as they found the itchy spot behind her ears. Jake liked that spot too – the memory made Ryan smile. He took the leash from Horatio as he stood. Ryan put Loki in the back seat of his car, and then turned, taking the envelope.

"See you tomorrow, H."

"Yes you will. Have a good evening."

Ryan turned to walk around his car and almost laughed. The lab techs, Calleigh, and Eric were standing outside, watching. So Horatio hadn't been alone in this plot – it made him wonder if Loki really came from the home of a deceased victim. He got in, seeing Calleigh was walking toward Horatio. He started his car and backed out, heading for home.

In the parking lot Calleigh stopped beside Horatio.

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth."

"What did he say?"

"He'll see us tomorrow."

Calleigh smiled, turning on her heel. She headed back to the door to tell the others Ryan had taken in the dog.

Maybe someday she'd tell Ryan the idea was actually Eric's. The case was his and when she arrived, he asked her if she thought releasing the dog and the papers would compromise the case. She called Horatio. He called a lawyer friend. Within four hours, the dog and papers were deemed as inconsequential to the case and Horatio was on his way to pick her up from the pound to deliver her to Ryan. She hoped having a new friend in his life would bring back that spunk that had vanished when he'd lost Jake. Maybe he'd even smile again.


End file.
